Resurfacing machine



23, 194-0. L ZEK ET AL RESURFACING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS 1-73 23, 1 J. Y. ELM-M Ei" AL 2 7 RESURFACING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L III /Z R EA INVENTORS JOHN XBLfiZE/f and BY VERNON FREQ) 6421a, M442 v-ZM A ORNEYS July 23, 1940.

J. Y. BLAZE'K ET AL RESURFACING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 5. 5 NV NH miw m 1 LL 1 BR @J NM M NM WE uwim fl Patented July 23, 1940 RESURFACING MACHINE John Y. Blazek, Maple Heights, and Vernon It. Roy, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to Lempco Products, Inc, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 25, 1938, SerialNo. 209,966

6 Claims.

} This invention relates to a metal working machine, .and has particular application in a machine for treating thesurface of objects which are difficult to center and to hold in proper position during the work-performing operation. The invention is illustrated in connection with a machine for grinding the pressure surface of pressure-plates that are used in clutches for motor vehicles, although the application of the invention is not limited specifically to; the treatmeritI of theseqparticular articles.

Heretofore the pressure plates of automotive clutches, when worn or damaged, have been discarded because of the fact that the cost of mounting them in awork treating machine has been morerthan the cost of the plates. This itemalone amounts to a tremendous sum in the course of a years time, but so far as we know no one has conceived of amachine which would enable the plates to be centered and then surfaced in a sufficiently short time to make it commercially practicable. This difficulty has been brought about because of. thefact that pressure plates are not uniform instructure. Some of them have lugs extending rearwardly with inturned shouldersthat do notreadily permit the mounting of the plates in the resurfacing machine.

a An object of our invention, therefore, is to make a.machine upon which irregularly shaped pressure blades may be mounted and ground within a fewminutes. The invention also contemplates a machine which issmall in size, compact and yet has sumcient rigidity and ruggedness to permit cuts of substantial size to be made upon the pressure-engaging surfaceof clutch plates. The invention, therefore, includes a machine which can be sold 'economically to garages, service stations :and the: like, so that pressure plates which heretofore had to be discarded can now be machined and renewed in a satisfactory manner.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective View .of; a machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is 'a'sideview of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the face plate on the work spindle; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a front view of a clutch plate support which embodies a part of our invention; 'Fig. 6 is a front view of a modified form 0 ofclutch plate attached to the face plate; Fig. '7

is asection taken on theline 71 in Fig. 6; Fig. 8

isa front View of another form of pressure plate attached to the face plate; Fig. 9 is a section it'akenonth line 8-9 in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a front p view of ,a flywheel that is mounted on the face face plate.

plate, and Fig. 11 is a section taken on the line Hll in Fig. 10.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a machine which has a bed 50 which on one end supports a work-supporting spindle If, and on the other end supports a tool spindle l2. The work spindle carries a face plate It, to which the work is adapted to be attached. The spindle may be operated by an electric motor indicated at it within the bed, through the medium of a speed reduction device, indicated in general at 15 and also mounted within the bed. The gear reduction mechanism includes a speed changer indicated in general at it which is adapted to be controlled by a lever ll that is located outside the bed and in a convenient position in front of the machine. Power is transmitted from the gear reduction unit to the live spindle preferably by a chain. It which extends around a sprocket wheel 19 that is fixed to the spindle.

The face plate is intended to receive clutch 1' pressure plates of different size and construction, and to center them accurately and quickly for a resurfacing operation. One form of pressure plate is indicated at 29 in Figs. 1 and 2, as being mounted in work performing position upon the This particular pressureplate has three lugs 2i formed on the rear face thereof and spaced equi-angularly apart. Each lug has a radially extending recess 22, that is formed by an inwardly extending lip 23 and the recesses are adapted to receive an attachment 25 (Fig. 5) which in turn, may be fastened to the face plate by spaced securing members 26. The attachment 25 is positioned coaxially with the Work spindle 1 and has a terminal flange 2'! in which spaced notches 23 are formed. Between the notches the peripheral portions 29 of the flange are cammed outwardly by making the distance from the axis to one corner 38, less than the distance from the axis to the other corner 3i. Thus, when the lugs of the pressure plate 26 are threaded through the notches 28, and the plate turned in a counter-clockwise direction as in a bayonet lock, the camming portions of the flange engage the lugs and bind them firmly by frictionalcngagement, thereby effecting automatically substantial axially alignment of the pressure plate with the work spindle.

To clamp the pressure plate 20 to the base plate, we utilize the flange 21, which is thinner than the width of the recesses in the plate lugs 2!, and we then utilize clamping bars 32 each of which is adjustably carried by the face plate and has a lip 33 that fits into the space within thereof.

the recess between the back of the flange 21 on the attachment 25 and the lip 23 on the lug 2|. Each bar may be provided with a wing nut 34, which when turned jams the pressure plate 20 against the front face of the attachment 25. In this way, the pressure plate may be readily centered and clamped into position, in less than one minutes time.

The work performing tool, illustrated in the drawings, has a grinding wheel 35 which is mounted on the spindle H2. The tool spindle I2 is journalled in a carrier 35 which may be adjustably mounted upon a cross slide 3'!, and the cross slide 31, in turn, may be mounted for movement upon a carriage 38. The cross slide 3? may be moved axially of the tool spindle 12 by a screw 39, while the carriage may be moved transversely of the work spindle either by a hand or power-feed mechanism.

The tool spindle l2 may be rotated by an electric motor 40, through a belt connection 41!. By pivotally mounting the motor base 42 at t3 upon a post M, that forms part of the spindle carrier 36 we may adjust the tension of the belt 4|. The tool spindle l2 and the motor 15 being mounted upon the same carrier, can be swivelled as a unit with reference to the cross slide 3'! and can be moved as a unit either axially or transversely of the work spindle. With this arrangement, a surface may be ground within less than two minutes so that the entire act of centering the pressure plate and grinding it can take place within a very few minutes time.

The feed mechanism for operating the tool carriage 38 is housed within the bed Hi and is adapted to receive power, preferably through a chain drive 45, from the gear reduction unit I5. The feed mechanism includes a double acting clutch which may be operated by a lever 45, to operate the carriage in either direction. The feed mechanism also includes a hand wheel 41, which, when operated, with the clutch lever 35 in neutral position, enables the carriage 33 to be moved at a faster rate than when operated by the power means.

A modification of the pressure plate is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 wherein the plate instead of having lugs as are illustrated in Fig. 2 has studs5il which are equi-angularly spaced on the back of the pressure plate, and which extend axially These studs may be attached directly to the face plate, after removal of the attachment 25, by internally threaded cap screws 5! which extend through spaced openings in the face plate, and which are adapted to be tightened from the rear thereof.

A further modification of the pressure plate is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, wherein the plate has axially extending lugs 53 that are provided with transverse openings through which pins 550 may extend. These pins, in turn, extend through openings in bars 55, that are adapted to extend through slots in the face plate. Each bar may have a stud 56 carried thereby and projecting beyond the rear face of the face plate, for receiving a nut 57 by means of which the clutch plate may be clamped against the face plate.

It is to be understood that the lugs 56 on the plate 49 and the lugs 53 on the plate 52 are concentrically disposed with respect to the axes of the two plates, and that the openings in the face plate for receiving the cap screws 55 and the bars 55 are likewise concentrically arranged with respect to the axis of the face plate. It is to be further understood that the openings in the face plate for receiving the diiferent clamping devices are spaced angularly from each other, so that an operator may quickly and accurately position a pressure plate in work performing location. Thus, for example, the openings for receiving the members that hold the bars 32 in place are indicated in Fig. 3 at I and 2; those for receiving the members 5| are indicated at 3, and those for receiving the bars 55 are indicated at 4. Other groups of openings are shown at Fig. 3, such for example as 5, 6 and I for receiving other fasteners that are not illustrated in this application.

Clutch plates to be faced usually have three equi-distant lugs on their backs. In such case, each group of openings consists of three equidistant openings, for instance, 5,5,5, or three equi-distant sets of openings, as the pairs L2; L2; [,2.

In Figs. 10 and 11 we have shown a mounting for clamping a flywheel upon the face plate so that the clutch plate engaging surface 60 thereon may be ground on this machine. The preferred clamping arrangement for holding the flywheel in place comprises a rod 6| which extends through the work spindle H, and which is provided with an abutment plate 62 adjacent one end for engaging the flywheel, and with a threaded portion 63 on the other end for receiving a nut in the form of a hand wheel 64. Thus, upon rotating the wheel 64, the flywheel may be clamped to the work spindle and against the face plate.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that we have provided a machine in which clutch pressure plates of different configuration may be rapidly centered and clamped for resurfacing purposes, and that the machine for performing such operation may comprise a compact unitary structure. By means of our invention, clutch pressure plates or fly-wheels may be clamped and resurfaced within a few minutes, thus enabling damaged plates to be salvaged, instead of being discarded as waste material.

We claim:

1. A work holder for a rotary resurfacing machine having a centering member, said centering member having a plurality of peripheral cams adapted to coact with the work and press outwardly thereon to center the work and a plurality of independent clamping devices, one for each cam, each clamping device being movable independently of the other clamping devices.

2. The means for mounting, on the face plat of a work performing machine, a work piece having equi-angularly spaced lugs on one side thereof and having a recess in each lug parallel to the plane of the surface to be treated, said means comprising devices pressing radially against the bottoms of the recesses simultaneously and thereby centering the work piece on the plate, and independent means engaging the walls of the recesses to clamp the article against movement axially of the plate.

3. A work holder for work pieces having'a plurality of inwardly facing hook-shaped lugs, said work holder comprising a face plate adapted to be secured to a rotatable member of a machine tool, a cam plate mounted on saidface plate and provided with a plurality of outwardly extending radial wedges Spaced from said face plate, each wedge being arranged and adapted to enter a hook of the work piece to center such work piece relative to the axis of the face plate consequent upon relative rotation between the face plate and the work piece, said face plate being provided with a plurality of hook-shaped members, one leg of each of the hooks of said members being arranged and adapted to interengage with the hook of the work piece, and means interconnecting said hook members and said face plate to cause the hook members to draw the work piece into contact with the face of the cam plate.

4. A work holder for work pieces having a plurality of inwardly facing hook-shaped lugs opening toward the axis of the work piece, said work holder comprising a face plate adapted to be secured to a rotatable member of a machine tool and having an outwardly extending hub, a cam plate mounted on said hub and provided with a plurality of notches adapted and arranged to permit entrance of the lugs of the work pieces and a plurality of outwardly extending cam formations parallel to the face of said plate and spaced outwardly therefrom, said cam formations being arranged and adapted to enter a hook of the work piece to center the work piece relative to the axis of the face plate consequent upon relative rotation between the cam plate and the work piece, said face plate being provided with a plurality of independently movable members arranged and, adapted to enter the hook of the work piece which is partially occupied by a respective cam formation, and means individual to each hook member to cause such hook memher to retain the work piece in contact with the face of the cam plate thereby locating the work axially relative to the face plate and centrally relative to the axis of the face plate.

5. An apparatus for resurfacing plates having spaced lugs projecting from one side thereof, each lug having a radially extending recess therein, comprising a centering device having portions thereof adapted to occupy the recesses and press radially against the lugs,'and clamping members adapted to enter the same recesses and adapted to draw the plate against the centering device.

6. A centering device for a surface finishing machine, for work pieces having spaced recesses in a plane parallel to the surface to be finished, said centering device comprising a plate having spaced peripheral cam portions thereon for entering the recesses, said portions being of gradually increasing radius from end to end, whereby the cam faces may bear against the bases of the recesses to center the work, while the radial distance to one end of each cam portion is less than the radial distance to the bottom of such recess and the radial distance to the other end of each cam portion is greater than the radial distance to the bottom of the recess, and means for forcing the work piece laterally, whereby the work piece is clamped on the centering de- V106.

JOHN Y. BLAZEK. VERNON R. ROY. 

